Words can't even describe my disappointment in this sale. The slow and methodical takeover of our lands and resources by foreign companies, specifically communist controlled or Islamic areas is a sign of our eventual demise and enslavement. I'm all for capitalism but to sell out like this to a foreign company? As far as I'm concerned, all involved in the sale and the profits should feel ashamed and be treated as traitors.

"It is in the best interest of our shareholders to monetize the value of this land at this time and seek another use for this cash in the hopes of maximizing the value of our FNFV assets." I hate this monster we've created.

GRAMMATICALLY CHALLENGED

In his letter of 2/19, Mike Frank had a pretty good suggestion for the news media. I would like to offer some addional [sic] that I feel apply: learn proper English grammar or hire proof readers, or both.

The misuse of the English language by the media is disgusting. You see it everywhere, from the Source to the major television networks, newpapers [sic] and magazines, etc. Nobody gives a damn any more about using our language correctly? Nobody knows how to any more?

In Phil Busse's article he begins with "This is not the winter that the ski industry, nor skiers, in Oregon wants..."

By doing so he has made probably the most common grammatical mistake that crops up constantly in the media. He has mismatched the subject with the verb form. The sentence actually has two subjects, ski industry and skiers in Oregon, and therefore needs the plural form of the verb, which would be want, rather than wants.

No worries, Phil, you are in stellar company with all the other grammatically challenged media people out there. A priceless example of another gaffe occurred on the NatGeo channel recently, during a feature on the Galapagos. The subject was underwater creatures that are brightly lit but can best be seen at night. The narrator said, "the brilliance of these fish are hardly visible by day."

Again, the subject and verb form were mismatched, to effect a bastardization that comes across almost like an expletive if you know any grammar at all.

Of course, the subject here is brilliance, which is singular, rather than fish, which is obviously plural. So the wrter [sic] again confused the subject and ended up with the wrong verb form, which should have been is.

The correct version is then "the brilliance of these fish IS hardly visible by day."

I am probably just rambling on about something most people couldn't care less about, but I believe that our language should be important to us and we have a right to expect those in the business of using it frequently to be able to do so correctly.

—Marco

Editor's note:We actually care quite a lot about grammar here at the Source. So much so that we often edit letters to the editor for grammar to ensure readability. To illustrate this, we left your letter as submitted, with the exception of correcting the quote you referenced. And while we, being human, occasionally make mistakes, this was not one of them. That sentence has one subject: the ski industry. Because "nor Oregon skiers" is a parenthetical statement set off by commas, it does not prompt a plural verb. So, while we appreciate your attention to things like verb agreements, we would advise: If you are going to pick at nits, first be sure there are nits to pick.

A recurring thought I have on this issue. Why is the City or State not enforcing the registration of out of state vehicles that continue to drive around here long after moving here and taking up residence? According to the Oregon DMV website: "Within 30 days of becoming a resident of or domiciled in Oregon, you must title and register your vehicle, including obtaining Oregon license plates." And I'm pretty sure slapping an "I love Bend" sticker on your car doesn't count as registering it in Oregon. If you "love" Oregon so much, maybe it's time to play by the rules here. And that also goes for bringing your less-than-stellar driving skills you may have become accustomed to in a larger metropolitan area. Time to slow down and use common sense, even if you don't have
much left.